God of War: Ragnarok is coming later this year, set for a November 9, 2022 release date. The game will continue the story of Kratos and Atreus in the realm of the Norse gods as they come to terms with the consequences of their actions from the previous game.
As a new trailer was released a few days back, we got to see even more new footage from the game and a quick peek at Thor fighting Kratos. The trailer is chock full of hints and details that reveal where the story might be headed in this sequel to 2018’s God of War.
Below, I’ll highlight five of the biggest new story details I could decipher from the new trailer for God of War: Ragnarok. This will involve theorizing about the game’s main story and character arcs, so beware of any possible spoilers in case what I theorize might turn out to be true.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
5 highlights from the new God of War: Ragnarok trailer
1) Very much an Atreus story
One thing that has been made quite clear from the beginning is that God of War: Ragnarok will feature a story centered on Atreus. Both trailers for the game have opened with Atreus speaking the first words and taking the initiative, so it is pretty obvious that the “boy” will be the protagonist of this tale.
In the last trailer, we were led to believe that he may grow up to be a bratty child, but the new one paints him in a much more composed light. He is concerned for his father's safety, to which Kratos has one of the most baller replies I’ve ever heard: “Death can have me when it earns me.”
Atreus is also seemingly keeping secrets from Kratos, which the latter is none too happy about. But after the last game, I’m happy to see that the shoe is on the other foot now. As long as it is not drawn out for too long, it should be fun to see Kratos get a taste of his own medicine.
2) That’s probably Odin
A mysterious voice also narrates parts of the trailer, although the caption reveals it to be Odin Allfather himself. We also see a shot of a shadowy figure visiting the home of Kratos and Atreus at the same time as Odin speaks, so I’m guessing that’s our first look at the god of the gallows.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Odin remains in the shadows during this game, and we don’t get a proper look at him until the third installment in this God of War saga. Although, as we’ve already been teased with the silhouette, we might get a full look at him before the end of the game.
That said, Odin could also only appear in dreams and as visions throughout the game, trying to hamper our heroes. After all, he is also the god of wisdom and knowledge and often practices seiðr magic. His goal in this game seems to be to start Ragnarok.
3) Sköll and Hati play an important role
Towards the end of the trailer, we see Kratos and Atreus standing beside two giant wolves. Generally, a giant wolf in Norse mythology would mean the dreaded wolf known as Fenrir. However, the two wolves, combined with the action Atreus does next (sending one after the sun), are proof that these are Sköll and Hati.
This is an exciting development, as it further lends credence to the notion that time in these lands is not as linear as we believe it to be. These two wolves are the offspring of Fenrir himself, who is, in turn, a child of Loki and Angrboða, both teenagers in this game. So technically, Atreus is standing next to his grandchildren.
Of course, this time anomaly was already hinted at by the appearance of Jörmungandr in 2018’s God of War. However, I’m still not sure how exactly it will fit the wolves. Jorm was supposed to have been thrown back in time after his battle with Thor, so who threw back Sköll and Hati?
4) An alliance with Tyr
In the last trailer, we saw Tyr in the closing moments as he towered over Kratos in an almost menacing way. The tension in the scene was enough for anyone to wonder if Tyr would be an ally or an enemy. Well, it seems that for now and at least in the early stages, Tyr will indeed be a friend rather than a foe.
Symbolized by a comrade-like handshake, the two gods of war are seemingly teaming up. We see Tyr a few times in the trailer, in at least two different locations. Finding him might take up the early stages of the story as we see Atreus and Kratos looking at a mural of Tyr running with the wolves, Sköll and Hati.
In fact, in a previous trailer, we saw Atreus holding a small orb with the name Hati etched into it. In the new trailer, we see him holding a similar orb, possibly the same one or its companion, etched with Sköll. This could lead them to the two wolves and eventually to Tyr himself.
5) Thor is the new Baldur
At the very end of the trailer, we see Thor and Kratos clash in a field of ice, an anticipated battle since the announcement that 2018’s God of War would be set in Norse mythology. While it is unclear at this point, the trailer makes it seem like Thor will play a similar role to Baldur from the previous game.
I am willing to bet, though, that it might turn out to be a red herring and that maybe the might glimpsed in the trailers could be at the beginning of the game. Instead of being beaten once and returning later, Thor could end up being killed by Kratos early on as a way of subverting expectations.
While the above is purely my theory, I feel the game already has enough characters set up without needing a rehash of another Baldur. We have Freya, who is sure to have a significant arc in the game. Tyr might turn at the end because he’s too intimidating a character to pass up a boss fight on. And there’s even that mysterious stranger Kratos is carrying, presumably to save them from Freya.
And those were five important story details from the new God of War: Ragnarok trailer, along with some of my thoughts on them. Did you enjoy this list feature? If so, why not leave it a like and a comment down below? You can let us know what other lists you’d like to see featured on the site and keep up with us for more video game content. Have a great day!
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